Alpha Laboratories Ltd. (Eastleigh, UK) and shuttlepac Ltd. (Telford, UK) are delighted to announce that the unique and innovative ShuttlePouch™ has been awarded Flexible Plastic Pack of the Year in the 2021 UK Packaging Awards.

Developed by shuttlepac, ShuttlePouch provides a compliant UN3373 sample packaging solution that protects users from exposure to biological samples during transit and on arrival at the laboratory. It addresses the needs of users, radically improving ease of use and reducing the cost of packing and shipping sample tubes, compared with using conventional methods. In addition, ShuttlePouch contains up to 83% less plastic than other standard specimen pouches (an average of 73% reduction across the range of pouches available), making it the more environmentally friendly option.

The ShuttlePouch™ range of leak proof pouches is designed to carry individual 95kPa pressure differential certified blood or urine specimen tubes (or any similar sized specimen tube). They include absorbent material already inside the pouch for convenient compliance to UN3373 packaging requirements.

The pouches also feature a transparent front so the tube and label are clearly visible.  An easy to open tear area facilitates processing when the samples arrive at the lab.

The ShuttlePouch™ range is exclusive to Alpha Laboratories in the UK and Ireland, and provides a powerful, cost effective solution to the clinical and diagnostic market.

Each leak proof pouch is printed with easy-to-follow instructions showing how to pack and seal the specimen tube. Simply add a rigid outer packaging box for a complete and compliant UN3373 solution.

In addition, the 95kPa pressure differential compliant ShuttlePouch is certified for transport by air (IATA). With all the features described above, they can be used with any leak free tube for transport by road or air.

About Alpha Laboratories Ltd.

Established in 1975, Alpha Laboratories’ ongoing mission is to continually find new ways to help science improve people’s lives through its evolving specialist diagnostic and laboratory solutions. Through worldwide connections and relationships with leading manufacturers, established and emerging suppliers, the company sources the best products to help solve the problems faced in laboratories or clinics every day. The company is BS EN ISO 9001:2015 and 14001:2015 accredited.

The top-quality range of laboratory consumables includes Pastettes®, pipette tips, pipettes, general liquid handling, microtubes, racks, PCR consumables and UN3373 compliant sample transport packaging. The research market is supported with an extensive range of antibodies and reagents for numerous disciplines. The diagnostics portfolio offers specialist assays, controls, reagents and instruments used in blood grouping, clinical chemistry, haematology, haemostasis, immunology and rapid test specialities. Specialist areas include bowel cancer screening plus inflammatory bowel disease testing and monitoring.

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